This study systematically records and presents, based on the political, social, economic, and educational context of the time, the foundation and operation of the School of Philosophy in Thessaloniki during the interwar period (1926-1940), its curriculum, the first "generation" of professors and lecturers, the profile of its first graduates (both male and female), and the "reception" of the University of Thessaloniki and, specifically, the School of Philosophy by the local community through the magazines and daily press of the time.
As a case study, the pedagogical studies and the role of the first professor of Pedagogy at the School of Philosophy in Thessaloniki, Alexandros Delmouzos, are examined in detail. The work concludes with findings regarding the broader role of the School in the qualitative upgrade of university education in Greece during the first half of the 20th century.
Particular emphasis is placed on the primary material, unpublished and published, from the Archive of the School of Philosophy at the University of Thessaloniki.
Vasilis A. Foukas graduated in 2001 from the Department of Philosophy-Pedagogy of the School of Philosophy of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with excellent grades. He received a master's degree specializing in School Pedagogy from the same department in 2005 and in 2009 he was awarded a doctorate from the same department. In 2010, he was elected lecturer and in 2014 associate professor of the Department of Philosophy-Pedagogy with a focus on the history of modern Greek education.
His research interests and publications fall within the areas: history of education and pedagogical ideas, history of education, history of teacher education, history of university education in Greece, methodological approaches to the history of education, history, memory and narrative, local educational history, and the history of schools in Thessaloniki.
OTHER WORKS:
1. The pedagogical training of secondary education teachers in Greece (1837-1910): explorations, positions, prospects, 2005.
2. Educational journals in Greece during the 19th century. Presentation and contents (edited in collaboration with S. Ziogou-Karastergiou and Th. Chaskeidou), 2005.
3. Exploring the Local History of Thessaloniki: Perspectives, attitudes and cognitive levels of students and the influence of family and school on their formation (in collaboration with D. Kyritsis), 2010.
4. Schools and Educators of Thessaloniki (19th century-Interwar): Biographies of benefactors and educators (edited in collaboration with S. Ziogou-Karastergiou), 2013.
5. Pedagogical theory and science in Greece (18th and 19th centuries): Key representatives-representative texts, 2014.
His articles have been published in journals and collective volumes, and he has presented at conferences on topics related to the history of education from the 19th and 20th centuries.
